


Closer

by Olivier_Mira



Category: Noblesse (Manhwa)
Genre: Angst, Anxiety, Battle, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Protection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-24
Updated: 2017-09-24
Packaged: 2019-01-04 17:01:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12173070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Olivier_Mira/pseuds/Olivier_Mira
Summary: Chapter 479 of Noblesse canon, in which Muzaka attacks Rai seemingly out of nowhere, had a lot of us tied up in knots. This was my attempt to process that. Franky loses his shit. Alternate continuity (I wrote it before the reveals in 480ff).





	Closer

Frankenstein checked the experiment results again, breathing a sigh of relief. Finally things seemed to have gotten back to normal, whatever that meant for their merry little band of… whatever the hell they were. They had settled into a reasonably stable routine. M-21 was looking less and less like a puppy always waiting to be kicked. Takeo and Tao had taken turns staying up with him late at night whenever he had trouble sleeping. Even Regis had felt the need to up his “clearly-I-don’t-care-what-are-you-talking-about?” attitude recently to make up for the fact that everyone knew that he and M-21 watched stupid late-night TV together on a regular basis. The kids were clearly doing better.

Of course there was still the pressing issue of his Master’s failing health to consider. Day and night Frankenstein ran experiment after experiment, testing theory after theory, checking and rechecking his data. There had to be _something_ out there that could help his Master. Some detail he had missed, some small clue that would unlock the gates of knowledge that _maddened_ him with their impenetrability.

Still. He had made progress. At least he had identified some of the variables that seemed to be in his way. If he could just narrow down which ones were specifically related to his Master’s decline, then he’d really be getting somewhere… 

The ringing of his phone irked him – he needed to _work_ \- but his exasperation quickly turned to worry when he realized it was Tao’s ringtone. He picked it up immediately.

“What’s wrong?” _Did something happen at the school?_

“Boss. He’s back.”

“What? Muzaka? He came to see you again?” _That pesky wolf. Damn him!_

“Yes. And after school, they both disappeared suddenly.”

“Wait - _Master_ went with Muzaka??” _Shit. Not good._ Not _good._ Frankenstein gripped the phone tightly.

“Yes. We tried to follow them, but he didn’t want us to.”

“What did he say, specifically?” He had to consciously loosen his grip on the phone in order to avoid breaking it.

“He didn’t say anything, just sent us the vibe, you know? Like _stay back._ ”

“Okay.” Frankenstein could feel a migraine starting to form in the base of his skull. “Tao. Listen to me carefully. Your first priority is to _make sure those kids get home safe._ Don’t take any chances. Have Seira and Regis keep their eyes open for any potential non-human threats in the area. Report back to me on anything unusual. Got it?”

“Got it. Um… Boss?”

“Yes? Is there something else?”

“Just… be careful.”

“Yes. Okay. Just make sure the kids are okay Tao, all right?”

“I’m on it, Boss.”

Frankenstein hung up, resisting the urge to throw his phone straight across the room. He took a deep breath, white knuckles grasping the edge of the lab table. _Okay. Focus._

What he was about to attempt was a very delicate maneuver. He needed to locate Raizel and Muzaka, but had had to do it cautiously. If he wasn’t careful, he might end up in a position where he was prohibited from helping his Master, which was _not acceptable_ right now. He closed his eyes. Ever so warily, he reached out toward Raizel along their bond. All he wanted to do was _find_ him and, if possible, not let him know that he was looking. The latter was probably impossible, but if he simply traced his Master’s steps, just to get an idea of which direction they had headed…

It turned out that such precision wasn’t going to be necessary: before he got any further, a sudden, a sharp pain hit him straight between the eyes. _Master was… afraid._ Frankenstein felt the table crack beneath his hands and before he was consciously aware of what was happening, he’d taken the stairs three at a time, unlocking all the doors with a flash of violet. He almost bypassed the elevator entirely when he felt Raizel’s one remaining wing unfurl. His clawed hands were shaking so badly he was barely able to work the elevator buttons.

When he finally broke free to the outside, he took off into the air like a rocket. One thought burned like fire through his entire being: _Get. To. Master._ He could feel Raizel’s anguish through their bond like an open wound. There was no time even for the barrage of belligerent thoughts that were fighting to break through his fevered brain: _what the_ hell _had Muzaka done?? How could this have happened so quickly? What the hell was going on??_

The murderous energy of the Dark Spear crackled through the air like an approaching tempest, purple lightning erupting in a volcanic storm. Normally it wasn’t wise to let it overtake him so quickly like this, especially without his Master’s explicit permission, but in this instance, he literally did not care. The desire to do Muzaka violence was so strong that it overrode every pesky sane thought that tried to intrude. _How_ dare _you. How_ dare _you cause Master to feel fear! This is it. I am out of patience. I will fucking end you._

The clearing where they were fighting was not far off. Frankenstein could sense three figures there: Master, Muzaka, and one more. It occurred to him that it might be a good idea to figure out who that might be. Then he realized that he honestly didn’t care who the third person was. If they got in his way, they’d get eaten by the Dark Spear, period. He didn’t even care whose side they were on. It was all the same to him. _I don’t have time for trifles. Get in my way and die._

As he approached, the Dark Spear materialized in his right hand, curling around his arm like a venomous snake. He could feel its restlessness and hear its perpetual groans of discontent: _Curse you, Frankenstein. You have no right to be alive._ Normally this bothered him, but not today. Today, he welcomed it. _You’re right. I’m a terrible person. So let’s go do something terrible. Like hitting this fucking prick of a werewolf from behind with no warning._

Frankenstein hit the ground like a violet meteorite, carving a huge crater into the packed earth. When he came skidding to a halt in front of his Master, he realized he had two problems. One, someone had _blocked_ his attack: what the hell? _Garda?? Shit._ Second, there was something _very_ wrong with Muzaka, who was alternating between howling and laughing bizarrely. Somehow, he seemed even crazier than his usual crazy. His eyes shone with a peculiar glow that Frankenstein didn’t recognize at first… then it hit him. Mind-altered Union idiots had that same look. _So. Crombel got a hold of both of them. Terrific._

But they didn’t matter: what mattered was _Master._ He turned to Raizel and his heart clenched: there he stood, unsteady, one wilted wing blowing him off balance, blood dripping from one eye.

_Master. Let me take you home. Forget Muzaka. Crombel’s gotten to him. He’s crazed._

**_Frankenstein. I cannot forget him. He threatened the children._ **

There was an expression on his Master’s face that he never, ever wanted to see there: dark crimson rage.

**_You have my permission to break the seal._ **

_Yes, Master._

The sheer force of his own fury almost blinded Frankenstein in that moment. Streaks of red criss-crossed his vision as he turned back toward his prey with a snarl. Lightning-quick, he sent razor sharp spikes through the ground, knocking Muzaka and Garda both off kilter.

_“HOW DARE YOU!!”_

Vexation was Frankenstein’s constant companion, an angel of death that never left his shoulder. He spent most of his waking moments on a slow boil, just waiting for the wrong person to piss him off at the wrong time. But this situation had bypassed simple irritation and shot all the way up the scale to seething _wrath. All this work I’ve done. All that I have done for Master, so that he could have a normal life. And you would destroy it. Like. Hell._

“Frankenstein! How nice to s-” Muzaka began.

But Frankenstein was in no mood for banter. Having slid the Dark Spikes underneath the pair of them, he now retracted them like a whip, doing twice as much damage on the return trip. Garda recovered first, sending back an explosive attack.

Frankenstein blocked her, protecting his Master. “Bitch, you want to die? Get in line.”

This had the expected effect: Muzaka puffed up like a hairy blowfish. “You always were a cocky son of a bitch, Frankenstein! I’m glad to finally have the chance to kill you!”

With that he came straight at Frankenstein, which was exactly what he wanted. Frankenstein doubted Garda would come at Raizel unless Muzaka specifically ordered her to do so. But Muzaka was a wild card at the moment and he’d already attacked his Master once. That was already unacceptable. Frankenstein wasn’t sure if he could kill both of them, but if it came down to it, he was damned well willing to try.

Muzaka had resumed howling. “KRAAAAAAHH!! I don’t care how hard you try to stop me! I will kill all the humans! I will-”

Frankenstein hurled the Dark Spear straight at Muzaka’s face. “Put a sock in it, will you? Do you have any idea how sick of this shit we all are? _God_ you’re annoying!”

They exchanged blow after vicious blow, slicing the ground below them into jagged shards. Muzaka fought with a visceral intensity that normally Frankenstein begrudgingly respected, but the only thing he cared about at the moment was making him a permanent resident of the Dark Spear. Dodging the two of them was proving to be a challenge, but fortunately, his Demon Lover was up for it. Muzaka was clearly trying to hide it, but Frankenstein knew that his attacks were taking a toll, particularly since he had figured out how to block his werewolf regen.

It became readily apparent as the fight wore on, however, that endurance was going to be a problem. Whatever the hell Crombel had done to increase the werewolves’ stamina, it had worked. Frankenstein wasn’t finished by any means, but he knew that he had to be careful, despite what his rage was urging him to do. The furious part of him wanted to keep attacking Muzaka head on, but he had his Master’s safety to consider.

As he was mulling over his options, a shot rang out, and Garda flinched. A normal shot wouldn’t affect her, so that had to be… As if on cue, Frankenstein’s phone, which he thought was inaccessible in his current state, was somehow buzzing. _Tao, you idiot. I_ told _you to watch the kids!_

“Ha ha ha!” Muzaka taunted in his weirdly stilted voice. “Frankenstein, it seems you can’t go anywhere these days without your little ducklings following. Doesn’t that make you Mother Goose?”

Frankenstein rolled his eyes to the sky. _Dammit you dumbass wolf. Geese have goslings._

“Come out, little ducklings! Your mama is looking for –”

Muzaka didn’t get any further, however, because M-21 came leaping out of the rocks straight at Garda, in full werewolf form. Meanwhile Tao wrapped Garda’s legs tightly in black bands and Takeo continued taking pot shots at her from the sidelines. Not one to miss an opportunity, Frankenstein dove straight at Muzaka, skewering him with sharp spines.

Frankenstein excelled at melee combat and he had to admit, RK3 were getting better at it. Although they weren’t much more than an annoyance to Garda, whose strength far excelled theirs, they were at least keeping her occupied so that Frankenstein could focus on pounding Muzaka into the ground. _Tao must have instructed the Nobles to watch over the kids. Have to hand it to him, he is resourceful. Despite the fact that he doesn’t obey orders._ It wasn’t like this was a surprise to Frankenstein: they followed his lead and obedience wasn’t exactly his forte. Still, they wouldn’t be able to keep this up forever, and Frankenstein knew it. This had to end and it had to end quickly.

“Do you know what I hate the most about you?” He took several steps forward, waiting for the smoke of their last clash to clear so that he could look Muzaka straight in the eye before continuing. “You think you’re the only one in the world who has ever felt pain. Well, guess what, you stupid piece of shit wolf. Let me show you what 820 years of pain feels like.”

Frankenstein summoned both the Dark Spear and Blood Spear at once, twirling them in the air with a caustic smile. He flung them in opposite directions, one straight at Muzaka, one straight at Garda. This pushed them back up against the rocks at the far corners of the makeshift arena. _Good. The further from Master, the better._

There was a subtle change in the air; something was happening. A rumbling started and as Frankenstein listened intently, he heard a low growl coming from the direction he had sent Muzaka. That wasn’t what worried him the most, however: he felt a frisson of fear from his Master: **_Frankenstein, look out-_**

Frankenstein’s head whipped around as Muzaka leapt forward in his Spirit Wolf form. But he wasn’t headed for Frankenstein: he was heading _straight for his Master_ , cutting the angle behind him.  _Shit._

Then everything happened at once. Garda swooped past his vision, followed closely by Tao and Takeo and they were all _too close, get back!_ Frankenstein sprung into the air, flipping backward in a desperate attempt to intercept Muzaka, but the Spirit Wolf was the most powerful of werewolf attacks and also the fastest. Muzaka steamrolled over him, headed straight for Raizel, and Frankenstein screamed in his head, _Master!_

Impossibly, M-21 was faster. Frankenstein had seen M-21 pull out that Spirit Wolf attack once before, when they were fighting Maduke, but he had never been able to reproduce it since. It apparently required the gift of desperation, which they currently had in spades. The problem was that M-21 was in no way capable of taking on the full brunt of Muzaka’s wrath. This had never stopped him before, however, and it did not stop him now.

Frankenstein looked up from his spot on the ground and it was like watching a horror movie in slow motion as the two powerful wolves clashed. M-21 hurled himself directly in front of Raizel and Muzaka hit him head on, punching a hole straight through M-21’s chest. _No, no,_ no _…!_

Before he could even scramble over there, Muzaka let out a terrifying, guttural wolf shriek that Frankenstein hoped he would never, ever have to hear again. Muzaka had fallen to his knees and he was clutching M-21 to his chest, screaming in horror, his face hideously stretched in an expression of utter agony. _What the hell?_

M-21 lay bleeding, his chest torn open, each breath pumping more lifeblood out of him. _No. Not after all we’ve been through. This can’t be happening._

_“ASHLEEEEN!!”_

Frankenstein came to stand beside his Master, who had a strange look in his eyes. The others had stopped their fighting and were staring, too. _Master. What is happening? Has Muzaka lost his mind?_

**_Frankenstein. You told me that M-21 had a werewolf’s heart._ **

_Yes? But what does this have to do with…_

It suddenly hit him like 40 tons of brick. _What?? It_ can’t _be!_

 _“Raizel!!”_ Muzaka shouted, turning his vicious glare in his direction. “Tell me what this means! Why does this young wolf feel like my Asheen?? _TELL ME!!”_

“Muzaka.” Raizel’s eyes had reverted to their usual melancholy state. He put his hand on Muzaka’s broad shoulder, making Frankenstein flinch. “Before M-21 came to us, he was Crombel’s prisoner.”

“Dr. Crombel?” Muzaka blinked. He seemed to be returning to his normal state. Whatever that was for the mad werewolf.

“Yes. And Crombel gave him a werewolf’s heart.”

“A… a werewolf’s heart?”

“Yes.”

Frankenstein could detect a subtle current of energy flowing from Raizel to Muzaka. He wanted to yell at him to stop, but he knew it wasn’t his place. Biting his tongue, he deferred to his Master.

“Where… where did Crombel get a werewolf’s heart?” Muzaka’s voice was quiet, almost like a child.

Raizel looked at Muzaka, his eyes overpouring with sadness. He waited for it to sink in. Frankenstein stomped his foot in frustration. _If all this hinges on that dumb shit werewolf getting a clue, we will be here for a thousand years._

“Y-you’re lying! Dr. Crombel wouldn’t – ”

“Are you sure about that, Lord Muzaka?” It was Garda who spoke, coming up beside him. “After I awakened, I searched the lab where I was kept. Everything I saw - all the tools, all the equipment, all the data – all of it was strikingly similar to what I had seen when I was a captive of Maduke. Where did he get all of that information? I don’t trust him.”

_Look at that, it’s a miracle: a werewolf with a brain. Hallelujah._

Frankenstein was out of patience. “Look, Muzaka. We can argue about the specifics later. If we don’t do something right now, M-21 is going to die. If what Master says is true – ” here he glanced at Raizel, who nodded – “M-21 could be your last living link to Ashleen. Do you really want to risk losing that? After this is all over, if you still want to fight to the death, I will happily oblige you. But for now, we are running out of time. Let me take him back to my lab and –”

**_No, he’s too far gone. It’s up to me._ **

“M-Master!”

Raizel knelt down, brushing his finger against M-21’s bloody chest. Frankenstein didn’t think: he grabbed his Master’s wrist and stopped him before he could put his finger to his lips. A part of him was absolutely horrified at what he had just done, acting directly against his Master’s will, but it had been pure instinct, as if his arm had moved of its own accord.

“Master! You cannot! Awakening M-21 will take all of your remaining life energy! Master, _please!_ You can’t do this!”

“He can, if I help.”  Muzaka put his hand on Rai's shoulder. Frankenstein scowled. “Frankenstein. Look, I know you don’t owe me shit, okay? But I’ll do this, if you… if you promise me you will take me and Garda into your lab and fix whatever the hell Crombel did to us after this.” He paused, turning to Raizel. “No. Promise _him.”_

Raizel was staring pointedly at Frankenstein’s hand on his wrist. He brought his gaze up to meet Frankenstein’s, flashing red. Frankenstein immediately dropped it. _And I wonder where Tao gets his disobedient streak._

_I'm sorry, Master. I should not have disobeyed._

**_Frankenstein. If you have Muzaka in your lab, the children will be safe. Promise him._ **

“Okay, okay. You have my word.”

“Garda.” Muzaka turned to her with a pained look. “I'm sorry to ask you this, especially so soon, but I’ll need your help, too. Please give me your hand.” He pulled her down next to him so that they were all sitting around M-21’s lifeless looking body.

Frankenstein did not like this _at all_ , but he had no choice but to consent. As soon as M-21's blood touched Raizel's lips, a chain reaction was started. The ache in Frankenstein's heart tripled as his Master's blood field enveloped them. 

 _This is my fault. I should have kept him home. I should have been watching over him at all times._ Frankenstein knew he wasn’t in charge of what his Master chose to do. But right now Raizel was just so frail and helpless, like a delicate crimson flower made of spun glass that could be shattered into a thousand pieces at any moment. The thought of losing his Master again was more than Frankenstein could bear. He knew his psyche would not survive it. _I have to keep him safe. I’ll double my efforts. Triple them. This must not happen again._

He forcefully turned his mind elsewhere, instead choosing to focus on the energy transfer that was happening, a process that he still did not fully comprehend. No other werewolf had ever used it besides Muzaka, to his knowledge, except by means of an external medium such as the bloodstone. But somehow Muzaka was able to facilitate the process so that Garda could also give her energy to his Master, which Raizel was then conveying to M-21. What was it they were doing, exactly? Was it life energy that they were supplying? Was this method unique to werewolves? Or could Frankenstein somehow find a way to give his own life energy to his Master?

Although he did not like to see his Master using his powers, Frankenstein was relieved to see M-21’s wounds slowly closing. _After this, we are going to have a talk about the wisdom of throwing oneself into the path of onrushing former Lords of Werewolves._ Still, he could not help but be extremely proud of M-21. He laid his life on the line for Raizel without a moment’s hesitation. And if he woke up and the same was required of him again, he would do it again. Despite this, M-21 still did not see his own value. _I could count on one hand the number of living creatures I’ve met in a thousand years with that kind of loyalty and dedication. Keep it up, kid. One day you’ll get it._

It didn’t occur to Frankenstein how much effort it took for Muzaka to push this energy along to his Master until he began to show visible strain. Clenching and unclenching his massive muscles, he seemed to be holding himself up by sheer force of will. Garda soon collapsed next to him, but Muzaka kept at it. As much as Frankenstein detested him, he had to give it to Muzaka: the wolf never did anything half way. In that one area, they were very much alike.

Frankenstein didn’t want to interfere with his Master’s healing of M-21, but he could tell that Muzaka was just about at his limit. He checked in hesitantly… _Master?_

**_Frankenstein. M-21 will need your help._ **

_Yes, Master. Let me help him. Let me help both of you._

The blood field dissolved just as Muzaka finally slipped into unconsciousness. Tao and Takeo hurriedly rushed over to M-21.

“Is he going to be okay?” Tao was clearly worried.

“Yes, we just need to get him back to the lab as soon as possible.”

Frankenstein sat down next to Raizel, taking his hands, trying to gauge how injured he was. _Please be okay._

_Master, are you all right?_

**_Yes, Frankenstein. Just… tired._ **

_Master, I’m sorry for disobeying you. I was… scared._

**_I know. It’s okay, Frankenstein. You came. Everything is fine._ **

Frankenstein didn’t think his heart could take much more of this. He wondered if he were to give himself a werewolf heart, would it hurt less? _Probably not. And then I might start shedding on the furniture. How dreadful._

Karias and Rael arrived at that point to help with transport. Apparently Tao had stationed them at a location halfway between the area where they were fighting and where Seira and Regis were watching over the kids. Frankenstein was impressed. He considered giving Tao a raise, but then he remembered all the liberties Tao had already taken and decided against it.

When they arrived back home, Frankenstein threw himself into his work, getting M-21, Muzaka and Garda all into healing tanks. He rubbed his eyes, fighting back exhaustion. _I need to stay down here. M-21 isn’t going to like it when he wakes up. He hates these tanks. I can certainly understand why._

He was just contemplating how easy it would be for him to “accidentally” let his hand slip and turn the water in Muzaka’s tank to cyanide, which he happened to have on tap, when a deliberate sound on the stair alerted him to another’s presence in the lab.

“Master! You shouldn’t be here. You should be resting!”

**_Frankenstein. I cannot rest._ **

“What?” Frankenstein looked up from his lab notes, his brow furrowing with anxiety. “Why? Did I miss something? Do you have any further injuries?”

Raizel moved closer to Frankenstein, gently taking his clipboard from his hands and placing it onto the lab table.

**_No. That’s not the reason._ **

_Master. Please tell me._

Raizel reached up and carefully removed Frankenstein’s reading glasses, folding them and laying them on the table next to his notes.

**_Frankenstein. I cannot rest because the one who protects me is too far away. I need him closer._ **

_Master._

Pulling Raizel into his arms, he held him close to his chest. _Safe._ It suddenly hit him how near he’d come to losing his Master today and he shivered all over, tightening his embrace. _I’m so sorry, Master. I was worried for M-21. But you come first._

**_M-21 will be okay. He will sleep for some time. I will let you know when he awakens._ **

_Yes, Master._

Frankenstein pulled back, moving to retrieve his clipboard. “I just have to-” He stopped. Raizel had a hold of his lab coat sleeve.

 **_Frankenstein. You have disobeyed me all day. Come._ ** **Now.**

_Yes, Master. Forgive me._

Frankenstein dropped his clipboard and picked up his Master instead. Raizel wrapped his arms around Frankenstein’s neck.  ** _That’s better._**

He carried his Master in this fashion all the way up to his bedroom, where he gently laid him down on his bed. Too exhausted to do anything else, he collapsed into bed next to him.

**_Frankenstein. Something has upset you. What is it?_ **

_Master… I feel like I don’t have the right to ask you this._

**_You may always ask me._ **

“Master, I…” Frankenstein turned over to look into Raizel’s weary crimson eyes. “You said you need me to be closer to you.”

“Yes.”

“Well I… I also need you to be closer. When I don’t know where you’ve gone, I… start to panic. I’m sorry. I know I don’t have a right to restrict your movements. But I… wish you would let me know before you go off on your own with someone like Muzaka. Just… just for right now, with things being… how they are. Today was… terrifying.”

Raizel moved closer to Frankenstein, touching their foreheads together.

**_I frightened you. I’m sorry._ **

_Master. You do not have to apologize to me._

**_Frankenstein. Today I thought I would go into Eternal Sleep. And then you came._ **

Whatever dam that Frankenstein had been using to hold everything back was shattered and tears flooded his vision.

_Master. I will always come for you. Always._

**_I know. My Protector. I love you._ **

Raizel curled himself around Frankenstein, pulling his head to his chest, letting him cry as he smoothed his fingers though his hair. Frankenstein knew that Raizel didn’t have any soothing energy left to send along their bond, but that was okay. He felt it anyway. Just being with his Master, being this close. It was enough.

**_I promise to stay close to you._ **

_I promise to keep you close._

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos to jeza_red who has M-21 and Regis adorably watching TV together in "Foster Home for Endangered Species." Also many thanks to BFHwantsblood who provided inspiration and let me bleed all over her while writing this. Soundtrack: Verdi, Requiem.


End file.
